Antidepressant agents

Abstract

2-aryl substituted N-acetyl tryptamines are utilized as antidepressant agents.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for reducing depression in a human which comprises administering to said human an anti-depressive amount of at least one of the compounds represented by the following formula: ##STR2## wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g, fluoro and chloro, and lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, e.g., methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl; R 1  is a hydrocarbyl aryl having from 4 to 14 carbon atoms; R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 3  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy and phenoxy; R 4  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 5  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 6  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; and A is O, S or N; m is an integer of from 1 to 3; n is an integer of from 1 to 3 and x is 0 or 1, and y is 1 when A is O or S, and y is 2 when A is N. 
     
     
       2. A method for reducing depression in a mammal which comprises administering to said human antidepressive amount of one or more compounds represented by the following formula: ##STR3## wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen halogen and C 1  to C 4  alkyl radicals; R 1  is a hydrocarbyl aryl radical; R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1  to C 4  alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals; R 3  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy and phenoxy radicals; R 4  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, lower alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals; R 5  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, C 1  to C 4  alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals;   R 6  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, C 1  to C 4  alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals;   A is O, S or N; m is an integer of from 1 to 3;   n is an integer of from 1 to 3 and X is 0 or 1 and   y is 1 when X is O or A is O or S, and y is 2 when   A is N.   
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 wherein in the compound, each R is a hydrogen, R 2  is a lower alkyl, M is 1, N is 2, and X is 0. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2 wherein R3, R 4 , R 5  and R 6  of the compound are hydrogen. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 2 wherein R 1  is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, naphthyl, p-methyl phenyl and p-methoxy phenyl. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 2 wherein R 3  is a methoxy and R 4 , R 5  and R 6  are hydrogen. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 2 wherein R 1  is a phenyl. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 2 wherein R 1  is a naphthyl. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 2 wherein R 1  is a p-methyl phenyl. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 2 wherein R 1  is a p-methoxy phenyl radical. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 2 wherein the anitdepressive amount of the compound is from about 0.01 to about 100 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 2 wherein the antidepressive amount of the compound is from about 0.1 to about 25 mg/kg per day. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 2 wherein the mammal is a human; 
     
     
       14. A method for blocking physiological effects of melatonin in mammals comprising administering to a mammal an effective amount of a compound represented by the formula: ##STR4## wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen and C 1  to C 4  alkyl radicals; R 1  is a hydrocarbyl aryl radical; R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1  to C 4  alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals; R 3  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy and phenoxy radicals; R 4  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, lower alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals; R 5  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, C 1  to C 4  alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals;   R 6  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, C 1  to C 4  alkyl, C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy radicals;   A is O, S or N; m is an integer of from 1 to 3;   n is an integer of from 1 to 3 and X is 0 or 1 and   y is 1 when X is O or A is O or S, and y is 2 when   A is N.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14 wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 2 wherein X is O. 
     
     
       17. A method for reducing depression in mammals, including humans, which comprises administering to a mammal an effective amount of a compound represented by the formula: ##STR5## wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, and lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, e.g., methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl; R 1  is a hydrocarbyl aryl having from 4 to 14 carbon atoms; R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., c 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 3  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy and phenoxy; R 4  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 5  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 6  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; and A is O, S or N; m is an integer of from 1 to 3; n is an integer of from 1 to 3 and x is 0 or 1, and y is 1 when A is O or S, and y is b 2 when A is N, wherein said compound is administered in a manner to coincide with the treatment of light therapy. 
     
     
       18. A method for blocking physiological effects of melatonin in mammals, including humans, comprising administering to a mammal an effective amount of a compound represented by the formula: ##STR6## wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, and lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, e.g., methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl; R 1  is a hydrocarbyl aryl R 2  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 3  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy and phenoxy; R 4  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 5  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; R 6  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, e.g., fluoro and chloro, hydroxy, lower alkyl, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkyl, lower alkoxy, i.e., C 1  to C 4  alkoxy and phenoxy; and A is O, S or N; m is an integer of from 1 to 3; n is an integer of from 1 to 3; and x is 0 or 1, and y is 1 when A is O or S, and y is b 2 when A is N, wherein said compound is administered in a manner to coincide with the treatment of light therapy.